Preparing for a Smooth Back-to-School Transition: A Guide for Parents

 Summer vacations are just about to get over, and it's high time for parents to prepare their children for a smooth back-to-school transition. As a parent, you need to prepare your child mentally, emotionally, and practically for the upcoming challenges.

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Know that every child is unique and the strategy for preparing them for a back-to-school transition may differ. While some children may feel excited to get back to school and meet their friends, some may feel anxious. So, yes, preparing for a back-to-school transition can become stressful for parents at times.

With that said, here we’ll discuss some of the best strategies to ensure a smooth back-to-school transition for your child and set up your child for success. So, let’s begin:

1. Establish A Routine

We know that it can be challenging for your child to shift from a relaxed summer sleep to a more rigid school schedule, but establishing a routine is crucial.

About a week before the first day of school after vacations, establish a bedtime schedule for your child so that he/she adjusts to the impending weekday routine.

Setting up a routine will help your child to regulate their sleep patterns and ensure they are well-rested for the hustle and bustle of the school’s daily life.

2. Buy School Supplies Early

Most parents often buy school supplies a day before the first day of school. What’s the point of waiting until the last minute and putting yourself in a stressful situation? What if you don’t get the item at the last moment?

So, to beat the rush and save yourself from unnecessary stress, buying school supplies 1-2 weeks before can be a good choice. For example, if you’re looking to buy new back to school clothes for your child online, make sure to book it at least two weeks before school starts. This is because you’ll get enough time to exchange it and get a new one, in case the size doesn’t fit well to your child.

Also, look for other school supplies, such as pencil cases, water bottles, lunch boxes, notebooks, pens, rulers, and other essentials.

3. Don’t Overlook Your Child’s Health

When preparing your child for back-to-school season, make sure you don’t overlook the importance of your child’s health.

Besides buying school supplies and setting up a routine, it is important to schedule necessary appointments to ensure your child is in good health. Also, encourage your child to adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious foods and getting sufficient sleep.

4. Visit The School and Meet The Teacher

If your child is young or new in the school, familiarize them with the school environment and meet the teachers. This will help them ease anxiety and create a sense of familiarity. Meeting the teacher will also help your child ask questions, if any.

Also, try to arrange parent-teacher meetings with your child’s teacher to introduce yourself and discuss any specific concerns or questions.

Summing Up

Going back to school after a long vacation can be challenging for your child. But with the right strategies and support, you can prepare your child for a smooth back-to-school transition.

Back to School Guide

This year, back to school looks different from years past for many families. Regardless of if your kids will be back in the classroom, or if the classroom is now at home, there are a few things that are bound to be useful to you, that you just don't know you need yet! I have rounded up a few of my favorite items to help get your family ready to head back to school.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it a healthy one with Pocono. Find great options that are organic, easy to make and so healthy! We loved the Cream of Buckwheat the most! Order single boxes from Amazon, or if you want to stock up they have 3 and 6 packs too.

Move over fruit snacks, Chum Fruit Bites are going to be your new favorite snack. Made with 100% fruit, and nothing artificial, these are perfect for packing in a lunch or offering as a snack break during virtual classes. Order online for about $13 a 12 pack. The Chum Fruit Bites packaging entices little kids to want a healthy treat!

Give little ones a chance to incorporate play into their lessons with TileBlox. This is a perfect addition to your homeschool classroom for STEM, or it makes a nice back to school gift for creative little builders. Get these from Magformers starting at $15. They have a great assortment of sets to choose from!

Protein Cookies are perfect for guilt free snacking. Add them to a lunch box, or let the kids grab a bag when they need a pick me up during their studies. This is one cookie you can feel good about offering as they are packed with protein! Order them, and some yummy protein puffs when they need a salty snack. Order from Shrewd Foods for about $15 a 6 pack.

Send the kids back to school in style with Lone Cone. They make some adorable backpacks that are perfectly sized for an elementary age student. You are going to love the funky prints or classic styled backpacks without so much flair. Order online for about $25. 

Give kids a hands on science lesson with this impressive and affordable kit from Thames and Kosmos. The Colorful Crystals Lab is perfect for bringing science to your homeschool, or this makes a fun way to wish kids a fun year of learning as a back to school gift. Order online for about $30.

School lunches are nothing without a tasty drink. Pack a Juicy Juice box in your kids lunch to fuel them with goodness for the rest of their day. They are also perfect for homeschool field trips. Buy from most major retailers for about $4 a pack.

Crayola is making great masks for kids and adults. We love these because they come in 5 packs and include a bag for washing. Wear a different mask everyday and keep things sanitized with these. To learn more about where and how to get these awesome mask packs visit Crayola online.

Water fountains are out, so send a big and beautiful bottle to school to keep your student hydrated. We love the 32 oz Stein Bottle by Healthy Human. They offer smaller sizes too, in so many pretty prints. Check out the selection to pick the perfect reusable water bottle for your little learners.

Fight Covid on the go with these New Essential Personal Care kits. They include gloves, alcohol pads, masks, hand soap sheets and sanitizer to keep you clean on the go. 

You are probably going to be doing more laundry than ever now that school is in session. TruEarth has eco laundry strips to help you manage that task with less waste. These are effective and easy to use, no measuring required! Order online starting at about $8.

Lone Cone makes perfectly sized lunch boxes to match those stylish backpacks mentioned above! I love that they have an interior mesh pocket for storing hand wipes, napkins and utensils. Order online from Amazon after checking out the Lone Cone website to browse the selection. Prices start at $15.

If you are homeschooling, or virtual schooling a great resource to add to your library is the Farmer's Almanac Kids edition. This little book is jam packed with facts and fun for kids. For under $9 on amazon you can grab a copy of this book to keep your kids turning the pages and learning about astronomy, birth month flowers, weather, farming and more.

I hope these suggestions help to start your school year off on the right foot! If you have a favorite back to school find for the year, I hope you tell me about it in a comment!

You can make your own pencil pouch with this tutorial.

School Bus Snack

This easy school bus snack is the perfect way to welcome a new school year!

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Back to school is an exciting time for both kids and parents! This year my youngest is excited to begin her first year at preschool! My oldest, he says he must be most excited about lunch or the bus, he can't decide. I appreciate his honesty.

To take their excitement to a new level, we made a delicious and easy school bus snack to the delight of the kids!

This is so easy you guys! The kids can build these and they will love munching on them too!

Ingredients:

1 to 2 teaspoons of yellow frosting, any kind will do!

2 Nilla Wafers

1 Graham Cracker

4 Rice Chex pieces

Instructions:

Spread the frosting on the graham cracker

Add the Nilla Wafers as the wheels for the bus

Add the Chex cereal pieces as the windows

Enjoy!

This was a fun way to get the kids involved in making their own snacks and we might have played with our food just a little!

Do you have a fun back to school snack idea to share? I would love to hear about it in a comment!

You might also like this fun handprint fish puppet craft.

DIY Pencil Pouch for Back to School

In a few weeks, we will begin running over supply lists and stocking up on essential items for the school year. This year, why not DIY a few supplies to save some cash and make your child's supplies stand out from the crowd?

I made a DIY pouch for my son to store his pokemon cards in earlier this week, and I knew that this would also be perfect for storing his pencils and markers during the school year. This was so easy to make! It is a perfect craft for kids of all ages, including teens!

You only need 2 materials for this DIY Pencil Pouch. You can buy them both at Dollar Tree if you don't already have them to make this a super economical craft!

All you need is a zipper seal baggie and printed duct tape. I used one gallon sized bags. As you can see in the video, I folded my baggie about 1/3 of the way up and taped it to hold that way, just to make the pouch a smaller size for smaller hands.

This is so easy to make. You can have it finished in under 5 minutes for a sturdy, handy pouch you can use in so many ways. From storing pencils and pens to holding treasures like Pokemon cards or even makeup!

• Begin by tearing duct tape to fit the width of the baggie.
• Layer it from the bottom to the top.
• Fold the sides over then flip the bag over and continue to layer tape from bottom to top.
• Then stuff it with the contents of your choice.
• Now you have a super easy and economical back to school supply that will be a one of a kind!

You might also enjoy this post on how to save money on back to school clothes.